The present invention relates to paperboard cartons and more particularly to cartons having an integral pouring spout through which the contents of the carton may be dispensed.
Numerous types of pouring spout structures have hitherto been proposed for this purpose, but they have not been entirely satisfactory. One problem relates to the gluing techniques required to form cartons containing pouring spouts and the speed at which the glue can be applied to the carton blank. In producing the prior art cartons, the glue can be applied only in certain places on the blank and this requires a timed operation on the gluer controls limiting the speed at which glue can be applied to the carton blanks because the glue pattern of the glue applicator wheel has to correspond precisely at a given location on a carton blank.
Further, pouring spouts in known prior art dispensing cartons do not have a means associated therewith whereby opening or tampering with the spout can be readily detected. In such cartons, the pouring spout can be opened and closed and contents of the carton removed without detection except by actually inspecting the contents of the carton. With some present cartons, a protective covering such as a label must be placed over the pouring spout area on the outside of the carton in an effort to forestall tampering.
Also, the pouring spout side walls or wings of the prior art cartons have associated therewith abutments to limit the distance the spout can be removed from the carton. These abutments cause resistance in pulling out the pouring spout at the point where the arc of the wing meets the angle of the abutments. In addition, in some embodiments, a scrap area must be removed from the carton blank in order to allow the side wall wing of the pouring spout on which is located the abutment to be moved with the spout from a closed to an open position.
In some cartons, especially those made of heavy caliper boards, it is difficult to grasp the spout to pull it out and either fingernails are damaged or some sharp device must be inserted behind the spout to remove it from the carton.
Also, prior art carton spouts are small in size and, because they are located on the carton end wall panels, are limited in width to the width of the end wall panel.